One Car Stolen Every 48 Minutes in 2021 in Ontario: Full Report

$1000000000

… the total cost of car thefts across Canada in 2021.

car theft
1 car is stolen every 48 minutes in Ontario (credit: Pixabay)

Key numbers regarding car theft in Ontario and in Canada for 2021

Car theft costs Canadians $1 billion each year. Below are key figures on this phenomenon which, unfortunately, is not decreasing:

10,900
car theft claims

...reported by insurers in 2021 across Ontario

1 car stolen
every 48 minutes


... in Ontario in 2021

$542 million
the annual cost of theft

...to car insurance companies in Canada

Good to know

This data is based on car thefts claims registered by car insurance companies. It does not include other motor vehicle than cars. It may therefore be different from other car thefts data from governmental sources.


The Ontario 2021 top 10 stolen cars ranking

winner 1
lexus

Lexus RX 2018

In 2021, SUVs most tempted car thieves in Ontario. The 2018 Lexus RX was the most stolen car. It is worth around $50,000.

RankBrandModelYearCar type
1
LexusRX2018SUV
2
HondaCR-V2019SUV
3
HondaCivic2019Sedan
4
ToyotaHighlander2019SUV
5
Chevrolet/GMCSilverado/Sierra 1500, 2500, 35002017Truck
6
FordF-150, F-250, F-350, F-4502017Truck
7
DodgeRam 1500, 2500, 35002019Truck
8
HondaAccord2018Sedan
9
ToyotaCorolla2017Sedan
10
Land RoverRange Rover2016SUV
The 2021 top 10 ranking of the most stolen cars in Ontario (sources: Equité association, IBC)

We therefore realize that the preferred models of thieves are recent ones (between 2016 and 2019), and are distributed between different models and brands.

In 2021 47.2% of stolen cars in Ontario were SUVs

The last few years have seen a major trend in the automotive industry: the emerging population of SUVs (sport utility vehicle), which have won over millions of Canadian consumers.

It is therefore not surprising to find SUVs at the top of the most stolen vehicles in Ontario in 2021 (just around 5,150 thefts, or 47.2% of the total), as shown in the graph below. Next are:

Source: Equité association, IBC

Car thefts cost insurance companies $542 million in 2021 across Canada

Out of the $1 billion cost of auto theft in 2021 across Canada, 54.2% was paid directly by auto insurance companies. Their claims payoffs were a total of $542 million. The remainder of the $1 billion cost includes:

Source: IBC

Ontario more negatively affected than Quebec, but less so than Alberta

To have the most impartial view possible when comparing car thefts by province, it is necessary to relate the actual number of thefts to the population of each territory. Here is what the numbers show:

Sources: IBC, Equité association

Our methodolgy

This study is based on information from public sources, including: the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Equité Association, the GAA and Statistics Canada.

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Astrid Roussel
Press relations officer at HelloSafe Canada